Last update: August 2025

 

 

 

XIAN GU

 

 

 

 

EMPLOYMENT

 

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business Assistant Professor of Marketing

 

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. in Marketing

University of Maryland, College Park, MD M.A. Economics

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY Bachelor of Economics

Peking University, Beijing, China

HH2100 1309 E. 10th Street

Bloomington, IN 47405 xiangu@iu.edu

 

 

 

 

July 2019 – current

 

 

 

 

 

May 2019

 

May 2014

 

June 2012

 

 

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

 

Substantive:  Digital  Marketing  (live  streaming,  influencer  marketing,  freemium,  mobile marketing), Market Competition

Methodological: Causal Inference, Econometric Models, Machine Learning, Field Experiment, Bayesian Models

 

 

JOURNAL PUBLICATION (*Doctoral student at time of publication)

 

1.   Gu, Xian, Jingcun Cao, and Yulin Fang (2025), “Review Manipulation and Filtering on Digital Platforms,” Accept, Information Systems Research

 

2.   Gu, Xian, Juan Bu, and Krista Li (2025), “Old But Gold? Product Design Innovation and the  Value  of  Used  Products  in  Secondhand  Markets,”  Forthcoming,  Production  and Operations Management

 

3.   Gu, Xian and P. K. Kannan (2025), “Identifying Competitors in Geographical Markets using the CSIS Method,” Journal of Marketing Research, 62 (4), 684-702.

 

4.   Gu,  Xian,  Xiaoxi  Zhang*,  and  P.  K.  Kannan  (2024),  “Influencer  Mix  Strategies  in Livestream Commerce: Impact on Product Sales,” Journal of Marketing, 88 (4), 64-83.

▪ 2023 Kelley School of Business Research Award

▪ Invited  for  Research  Insights  Series  with  the  AMA’s  Innovation,  Technology,  and

Interactivity SIG (Newsletter, February 2025 Issue 2)

▪ Invited   for   The   Power   of   Micro-Influencers   Workshop   by   the   University   of Pittsburgh’s Center for Branding

▪ Invited   for  2023   IBA   Faculty   Research   Spotlight  Series   and   featured   in  IBA OnAnalytics magazine (Fall 2024)

 

5.   Gu, Xian and P. K. Kannan (2021), “The Dark Side of Mobile App Adoption: Examining the Impact on Customers’ Multichannel Purchase,” Journal of Marketing Research, 58 (2), 246-264.

▪ 2022 Donald R. Lehmann Award

 

6.   Gu, Xian*, P. K. Kannan, and Liye Ma (2018), “Selling the Premium in Freemium,” Journal of Marketing, 82 (6), 10-27 (lead article).

▪ 2019 Donald R. Lehmann Award, Runner up

▪ 2018 Marketing Science Institute/H. Paul Root Award, Finalist ▪ Invited for webinar by Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Marketing

 

7.   Keyser, Arne De, Yakov Bart, Xian Gu, Stephanie Q. Liu, Stacey G. Robinson, and P. K. Kannan  (2021),  “Opportunities  and  Challenges  of  Using  Biometrics  for  Business: Developing a Research Agenda,” Journal of Business Research, 136, 52-62.

 

 

MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW AND SELECTED RESEARCH IN PROGRESS (*Doctoral student)

 

1.   Li, Krista, Jianqiang Zhang, and Xian Gu, “Live Stream Selling and Pay-What-You-Want Tips,” Under 2nd-Round Review, Management Science

 

2.   Xiaoxi Zhang, Xian Gu, and Lin Lei*, “Beyond Monetization: Heterogeneous Effects of Open Access as a Freemium Strategy for Public Good,” Invited for 2nd-Round Review, Journal of Marketing Research

 

3.   “Product Mix Strategies in Influencer Marketing,” with Sheng Liu and Yiwei Li

 

4.   “The  Role  of  Influencer  Marketing  in  Customer  Journey,”  with  Xiaoxi  Zhang  and Maximilian Beichert

 

5.   “The Dynamics of Influencer Marketing Strategies,” with Phillip Kim and Maximilian Peter Matthe

 

 

BOOK CHAPTERS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS

 

1.   Gu, Xian, Xiaoxi Zhang, and P. K. Kannan (2025), “Optimizing Influencer Mix Strategies for Livestream Commerce: Insights from China”, NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, 17 (1), 36-41.

 

2.   Beichert, Maximilian, Xiaoxi Zhang, Andreas Bayerl, Jacob Goldenberg, Xian Gu, P. K. Kannan, and Andreas Lanz (2024), “The Surprising ROI of Small Online Influencers,” MIT

Sloan Management Review.

 

3.   Kannan, P. K., Xian Gu and Hongshuang (Alice) Li (2023), “Selecting and Optimizing the Freemium Sales Model,” Impact at JMR.

 

4.   Gu, Xian, P. K. Kannan and Liye Ma (2019), “How Companies Can Get the Most Out of a Freemium Business Model,” Harvard Business Review.

 

5.   Kannan, P. K., and Xian Gu (2019), “Customer Centricity and the Impact of Technology,” in  Robert  W.  Palmatier,  Christine  Moorman,  and  Ju-Yeon  Lee,  eds.,  Handbook  on Customer Centricity, Edward Elgar Publishing: Massachusetts, 300-316.

 

 

TEACHING

 

1.   Digital Marketing (undergraduate), Kelley School of Business, Indiana University ▪ Instructor, Spring 2022-2025/Fall and Spring 2020

▪ 2025 IU Trustee Teaching Award

 

2.   Social Media in Marketing (Ph.D.), Kelley School of Business, Indiana University ▪ Instructor (one session), Fall 2021

 

3.   Marketing  Research  Methods  (undergraduate),  Robert  H.  Smith  School  of  Business, University of Maryland

▪ Instructor, Spring 2017 and 2019

 

 

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND INVITED TALKS

 

2025  Tianfu  Marketing  Forum  at  Southwestern  University  of  Finance  and  Economics, Chengdu, China

2025 The Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China 2025 Tongji University, Shanghai, China

2025 The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

2025 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

2024 Research Insights Series with the AMA’s Innovation, Technology, and Interactivity SIG, online

2024 Marketing Dynamics Conference, Santorini Island, Greece

2024 The Power of Micro-Influencers Workshop by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Branding, online

2024 IBA Faulty Research Spotlight Series, Bloomington, IN 2024 AMA Winter Academic Conference, St. Pete Beach, FL 2023 Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

2023 Fudan University, Shanghai, China

2023 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Miami, FL 2023 AMA Winter Academic Conference, Nashville, TN 2022 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Chicago, IL

2022 AMA Winter Academic Conference, Las Vegas, NV 2020 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Durham, NC 2019 Marketing Dynamics Conference, College Park, MD 2018 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Philadelphia, PA 2018 Haring Symposium, Bloomington, IN

2017 Marketing Dynamics Conference, Hong Kong, China 2017 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Los Angeles, CA 2017 Robert Mittelstaedt Doctoral Symposium, Lincoln, NE 2017 AMA Winter Academic Conference, Orlando, FL

2016 ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Shanghai, China

2015 Advanced Research Techniques (ART) Forum, San Diego, CA

 

 

HONORS AND AWARDS

 

2025 IU Trustee Teaching Award

2023 Kelley School of Business Research Award 2023 ISMS Early Career Scholars Camp Fellow 2022 Donald R. Lehmann Award

2019 Donald R. Lehmann Award (Runner Up)

2019 AMS Mary Kay Dissertation Proposal Award (Finalist) 2018 Marketing Science Institute/H. Paul Root Award (Finalist) 2018 AMA Sheth Doctoral Consortium Fellow

2018 Haring Symposium Fellow

2017 Shankar-Spiegel Best Dissertation Proposal Award 2017 Robert Mittelstaedt Doctoral Symposium Fellow

2016 INFORMS Marketing Science Doctoral Consortium Fellow

 

 

SERVICE

 

Doctoral Dissertation/Examination Committee: Ningning Guo (Indiana University)

Philip Kim (Indiana University) Sohum Mehrotra (Indiana University) Aman Soni (University of Pittsburg) Joanna Li (Indiana University)

 

Editorial Review Board Member:

Journal of Interactive Marketing (2024-) Journal of Retailing (2022-)

 

Ad-hoc Reviewer for Journals:

Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Management Science, Information System Research, Production and Operations Management, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Service Science

 

Reviewer for Others:

John A. Howard/AMA Doctoral Dissertation Award Shankar-Spiegel Best Dissertation Proposal Competition